| Standout | Hogan Lovells | 7 | 10 | 9 | 26 | Litigators won a case in the US Supreme Court, successfully arguing that Californian courts didn't have jurisdiction to hear a suit against New York-headquartered pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb, setting a precedent that will likely end forum shopping in product liability mass torts in the US. Commended: Neal Katyal. |
| Standout | Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan | 8 | 9 | 8 | 25 | Obtained a favourable resolution to corruption claims against Odebrecht, the Brazilian conglomerate, enabling it to remain an operating business while reducing the size of its worldwide fine to $2.6bn, less than half the minimum under US sentencing guidelines. |
| Highly Commended | Dechert | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 | Representing SCA Hygiene Products, a manufacturer of adult diapers, in the US Supreme Court, litigators successfully argued that the century-old doctrine of laches (a time bar to relief if plaintiffs have unreasonably delayed in bringing a lawsuit) does not bar damages in patent cases. |
| Highly Commended | McGuireWoods | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 | Advised Asarco, a copper-mining company that was in bankruptcy reorganisation, to settle in full a jointly faced $8bn environmental claim. Lawyers' arguments allowed Asarco to emerge from bankruptcy and pursue contribution payments from other liable parties to the environmental claim. |
| Highly Commended | Akerman | 6 | 8 | 8 | 22 | Appointed receiver of the Jay Peak resort in Vermont the firm has helped to settle a securities fraud from the EB-5 programme, which allows foreign investors in US projects to apply for a green card. The resort's profitability has increased from $1.8m to $10m, saving thousands of local jobs. Commended: Michael Goldberg. |
| Highly Commended | Latham & Watkins | 6 | 8 | 8 | 22 | Represented Pandora Music, a satellite broadcaster, and iHeartMedia, a media company, in the Californian Supreme Court and Illinois District Court, respectively, against claims made for digital performance royalties on sound recordings released before 1972. Lawyers used constitutional law mechanisms to fast-track Pandora's case, saving the company millions of dollars. |
| Highly Commended | O'Melveny & Myers | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 | Represented Sirius XM, a satellite broadcaster, in the New York Court of Appeals. The plaintiff argued it had a right to digital performance royalties on sound recordings released before 1972. However, the lawyers successfully convinced the court that satellite broadcasters have no such obligation. |
| Commended | Baker McKenzie | 6 | 8 | 7 | 21 | Advised RealD, a California-based 3D technology company, on an infringement of its patents, winning on all issues at the US International Trade Commission and ultimately defending challenges to its patents globally. |
| Commended | Paul Hastings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | In resolving an international criminal investigation, the firm represented Braskem, which is controlled by Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht. The firm helped negotiate a favourable settlement for Braskem that set a new benchmark in dispute resolution. |
| Commended | McCarthy Tétrault | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 | Preventing the certification of class-action claims is difficult as courts routinely accept them. However, lawyers for US pharmaceutical group Abbott Laboratories decided to apply for summary judgment to defeat a class action against its AndroGel testosterone product before the action was certified. They successfully argued AndroGel had not caused plaintiffs' complaints, establishing a new litigation process. |
| Commended | Cravath, Swaine & Moore | 5 | 8 | 6 | 19 | Successfully devised and implemented a strategy to prevent a class action against US pharmaceutical client Mylan from going ahead. The law firm argued there were too many plaintiffs in the action for it to be judicially economic and practical. |
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